Ulyett being run out for 21. The Hon. MB Hawke then scored 36 not out, striking a six to end a game which Yorkshire won by four wickets. It was a summer of sunshine and hard pitches in 1887 and at Canterbury Yorkshire ended Monday’s play on 305 for one, Ulyett making 124. Louis Hall and Fred Lee also reached three figures and the innings closed at 559 in 610 minutes. Kent had to follow on but Frank Hearne, although in pain from an injury, sored 144 and saved the game. Walter Wright’s left-arm swerve came to the fore in Kent victories at Old Trafford in 1888 and against Middlesex at Canterbury in 1889 but Lancashire took their revenge with an innings victory in two days in 1890. It was now that another Hearne, Walter, entered the Kent lists. He was a cousin of the trio and the brother of Jack Hearne, the great Middlesex and England bowler. Walter Hearne’s career as a medium paced bowler was to be cut short through injury but he enjoyed a remarkable match at Manchester in 1893. Although William Patterson was unbeaten with 82, Kent could only reach 191, Briggs taking eight for 87. He then hit 66 in Lancashire’s reply of 166, Hearne 7 for 74. Mold struck back and Lancashire were left 195 for victory but Hearne, eight for 40 and 15 for 114 in the match, bowled his side to an 80-run victory. After Walter Hearne’s career finished in 1896 he became Kent’s scorer until his death in 1925 at the age of 61. Warwickshire provided Kent with holiday opposition for a couple of seasons before they settled down to a home and away series with Lancashire from 1896 to 1900. These were unhappy days for Kent and they failed to win any of the ten matches, although eight were left unfinished. Jack Mason and the future Canon William Rashleigh made hundreds at Canterbury in 1896 but MacLaren saved the day with his unbeaten 226. A year later, 20,000 people watched Whit Monday’s play at Old Trafford but it rained for the next two days. Lancashire rubbed it in with an innings victory at Canterbury, when MacLaren made 244 and Briggs returned 13-135. There was more Manchester misery in 1898 when 6,000 turned up on Whit Monday, play being restricted to 25 minutes and little more on the remaining two days. At least Alec Hearne enjoyed better weather for his benefit at Canterbury, making 80 not out and 74 not out, Johnny Tyldesley charming the crowd with 127. But Kent seemed cursed by the Lancashire weather, no play being possible at all over the 1899 Whitsuntide. They gave Lancashire a fright at Canterbury, Mason and Burnup making runs in a total of 305. A declaration left Lancashire needing 318 but Ward dropped anchor for four hours and the match was drawn. At last the Old Trafford weather relented for a late Whitsuntide in 1900, although Mason must have had doubts about his decision to bat first when three wickets were down for 13. Burnup and Mason (68) then added 110 before an old Cambridge Blue Thomas Perkins came to the middle. The holiday crowd of 17,000 were treated to a partnership of 221 for the fifth wicket in 110 minutes before Perkins was caught off Briggs for 88. By the close Kent were 401 for six, Burnup having hit 28 fours in making 200 out of 390. The match was drawn. Rain restricted Monday’s play to 50 minutes when the teams met at Canterbury but during the next couple of days Blythe made his first impact on Canterbury Week. The professionals found it difficult to get into the Kent side in those days; for example nine amateurs took the field against Lancashire in 1899, Alec Hearne and Huish being the exceptions. But Blythe was exceptional. He took 114 wickets in 1900, his breakthrough season, as Kent rose to third. Arguments would rage as to who was the better slow left-arm bowler, Rhodes or Blythe – or End of the Golden Era 55